Mission work among the Indians of the North-West: A sermon

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Presbyterian Church~in''Canada. .

INDIAN JUSSIONS IN THE NORTH-WEST.

ae By Rev. Pror. Hart, -B.D., Winnipec.
Come-over into Macedonia and help us.—ACTS xvi. 9. iy.

INTROPUCTORY REMARKS.

J" HESE to us now familiar words brought before the mind and heart of the
Apostle Paul the crying spiritual necessities of the nations of Europe, -their
7 need of the remedy for the world’s evil, their want of the hopes and consola-
tions offered:by the glorious Gospel of the grace of God which Paul had already
so earnestly and successfully proclaimed to the inhabitants of Asia. These words
brought home to the Apostle’s heart the great need of the men of Macedonia for the
healing power of the Gospel ; but, uttered by the Macedonian of the vision, they
expressed rather the Saviour’s desire to save the nations of Europe, than any desire
for salvation felt by themselves. And in this these nations were not peculiar.
Neither in the early days of the history of the Church, nor the later, do the
heathen ask to have the Gospel sent to them. They wait till it is carried
to them ; and even then the martyr-records of missionary enterprise only too
Se frequently show that not only have they no desire for the truth, but that they
—_ are filled with the deadliest hatred, both to the message and the messenger,
* The Indians of these Western plains seem to have been no exception to this
. general rule. It was in response to no invitation from them that our Church
first entered upon Mission work among them. Their degraded and wretched
condition as heathen was the Macedonian cry that evoked the Christian sympathy
and pity of John Black and James Nisbet—the two noble missionaries who, at that
early day, represented our Church in the remote Red River settlement. .
And it occurred to me, in thinking of some subject to which, according to the
time-honoured custom, I should direct your attention at the opening of the
Synod, that I could not do better than give- you some account of our Mission
work among the Indians of Manitoba and the Western territories, Our relation to
this work is a subject of the highest moment to us all. It is important: for
us to recall:to memory what has been done in the past; to consider what we
are now doing, and to look forward to what we intend or hope to accomplish in
this important and interesting field of missionary effort. And it seemed to me
not inappropriate that I should undertake such a task on such an occasion as the
present. Some of the brethren have‘ charges close by Indian reserves on
which we have Missions established. And these brethren are, I am glad to be.
able to say, to a large extent familar with the conduct of the Missions in their own
neighbourhood, and render valuable help both to the missionaries and the Synod’s
“Foreign Mission Committee. But after all, the large majority of the brethren are
~ wmacquainted with.this.. work. This should not be the case. We shoul all,
both ministers and people, be thoroughly familiar with this, to us, the most import:
anit heathen Mission field worked by’our Church. As our knowledge of it extends,

_ *Sermon preached at the’ opeping of the Synod of Manitoba, North-West Territories aad British Colum-
bia, May, 1890, _Reprinted from THe PressyTerian Review, July 24, x890. .

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our interest in it deepens. The duty of farnishing an account of our Indian Mis: “‘! -

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__—-~Mission-work-was-begun-among the Indians of the

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sions must devolve upon one of the older members of the Synod long acquainted .
with them. There. are only a few. of us that fulfil this condition, ‘and,. without ~
unduly magnifying my. office, one of these few lI humbly claimtobe- - ve

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_ THE WORE BEGUN BY REV, JAMES NISBET AND REV. JOHN BLACK. —

—N c ) North-West by the Pres-
byterian Church in 1866, and the Rev. James Nisbet was chosen as.our first mie-
sionary. Mr. Nisbet came to this country in 1862 to take part with the Rev.
John Black in his lonely, self-denying labours along the banks “of the Red sand
Assiniboine rivers. For four years he laboured faithfully, sharing with’ Mr.
Black the duty of ministering to the wants of Mission stations at Kildonan,
Lower Fort Garry and Headingley, where his name is still fragrant in the
memory of the early settlers. During this period, the degraded and wretched
condition of the Indiana as they Jed their precarious existence, roaming through

the settlement, up and down'the banks of the two rivers, contracting the vices-but --_. --

ignoring the virtues of the whites, stirred-the hearts of these two earnest mission-
aries. And Mr. Nisbet was constrained to offer himself to the Church.as mission=
ary tothe Indians. His offer was accepted ; and it was decided to begin work in
the very heart of the Indian country. Accordingly, in the summer of 1866, Mr.
Nisbet accompanied, by his wife, a daughter of Mr. Robt. Macbeth, one of the
original Kildonan settlers, set out on his long journey of more that six hundred

“miles over the plains to the North-West. He took with him a.considerable party to

assist in the erection of the necessary buildings and in the conduct of the Mis-

- sion, Inthis party were two men with Indian blood in their veins, whose names

have since become prominent ia the annals of our Indian Missions. Thesetwo men—

¢ Scotch half-breeds—were John “McKay and George Flett. Mr. McKay was to

act as interpreter for Mr. Nisbet—a post for which his perfect familiarity with the
Cree tongue, and his great readiness in it, well qualified him. Mr. Filett joined
the party at the new historic Batoche, and upon, him devolved, among’ other
duties, the task of selecting a suitable site for the Mission. The objective point of
the little company was the Saskatchewan country. This region was at that time
occupied by roving bands of Crees bitterly opposed to settlement of any kind
among them—especially to settlement whose object they did not understand, and - :
therefore, regarded with suspicion. Mr. Flett was well fitted for the post of guide. - !
‘He was born on the banks of the Saskatchewan; was intimately acquainted with’
the whole region, and knew all the good camping ground. Besides he was' well
and favourably known to the Indians as an honest and honourable trader. After

several attempts to secure an eligible site that, from the hostility of the Indiana: ~~

were unsuccessful, Mr. Flett chose-a favourable spot near his own birthplacé.-~
Oa this account he claimed to have as good a right to, it as the Indians. ' His’
claim was admitted, and here it was decided to found the Mission. The place
was named Prince Albert in memory of the late Prince Consort. The site was
wisely chosen, and the subsequent history of the place haa amply justified the .
wisdom of the choice. Mission buildings were erected, and a school, was opened
for the young. Services were held at the Mission, and the Indians were followed
to their camps when within reach, Soon the favourable character of the country
attracted the notice of white settlerg, and many, especially from Kildonan, began
to settle in the neighbourhood. A’s the settlers increased in number, the Indians
gradually withdrew to greater distances, and the difficulty and hardship in reach-

ing them consequently became greater. - x

- ‘MR, NISBET'S WORK, AND HIS SUCCESSORS, , :
Like many another missionary in similar circumstances, Mr. Nisbet was not
cheered with many visible tokens of success. In spite, however, of difficulties
and discouragements, and failing health, he, persevered in his chosen work, and
continued faithfully to sow the good seed of the Word until 1872, when feeling the .
need of change and rest he visited his old friends in Ontario and passed the follow.
ing winter among them. I well remember his weary and worn appearance when
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» _Kildonan_in_1887—marks their_quiet-resting-place-in-the-Kildonan-church-yard.

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he reached Kildonan. In 1873 he returned’ to Prince Albert and resumed his
labours; but the end was drawing near. In the summer of the following year he
returned to Kildonan, bringing his family with him. They reached the settlement
with difficulty. In a tew weeks after their arrival, he and his,wife—the sharer of
his hardships and anxieties—passed peacefully away to their rest and reward.
A simple granite monument—a memento of the visit of the General Assembly to

The Rev. Mr. Vincent had joined Mr-Nisbet in 1872, but returned to Ontario
the summer of Mr. Nisbet’s death. The work was then taken up in .succession
and faithfully carried on by the Rev. H. McKellar, the Rev. C. Stewart, the Rev.
J. Duncan and the Rev D. C. Johnson until 1881, when the field, having become
wholly a white settlement with a population of nearly a thousand souls, was trans-
ferred to the care of the Home Mission Committee. And the school, which for
a number of years was so bravely kept up by Miss Baker, grew into the ‘ Nisbet
Academy ” not long ago unfortunatelydestroyed by fire.

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FORT RELLY AND OKANASE MISSIONS.

Of the original party associated in founding the Mission at Prince Albert,
two members already mentioned=subsequently received ordination and -were
placed in charge of important Missions, and are among our most successful mis-
sionaries td the Indians. These two, are the Rev. Geo. Flett, and the Rev. John
McKay, both men of great eloquence in their mother tongue. In 1874, Mr. Flett
was appointed to labour in ‘the neighbourhood of Fort Pelly.” ~ And, as if this
were not enough to utilize his energy, he was appointed also to take charge of the
reserve at Okanase, in the Riding Mountain country, then being located. .The
grounds of his appointment were’ “‘ his familiarity with the Cree language, and
Indian habits of life and thought, as well as his genuine Christian character.” Mr.
Flett was ordained the year after, in 1875, and though these reserved are over. 150
miles apart, he occupied them both for several years, alternating between them.
When Mr. Flett took up these Missions, the Indians had just had theée-reserves’
allotted to them,. and. had hardly begun to emerge from their wild, nomadic
life as painted and blanketed hunters of the plains. In a few years Mr. Flett’s
efforts began to produce. marked results, and a school was opened at each of the

_Missions. In 1881, Cuthbert G. McKay, astudent of Manitoba College, was placed
in charge of the school at Crow Stand,near Fort Pelly, with instructions to carry
on Mission work also during Mr. Flett’s absence. For some time, Mr. Flett con-
tinued to pay frequent and prolonged visits to Fort Peily, until] Mr. McKay
acquired experience enough to be left in charge of the whole work of the Mission, as
far as an unordained missionary was able to overtake it, Mr. Flett paying merely
occasional visits to dispense the sacraments., Cuthbert G. Mackay was also a half-
breed, and skilful in the use of his mother-tongue. He was a member of the Kil-
donan congregation, agd did excellent work, and was much liked, both in school
and Mission, After struggling for some time with his arduous duties and failing
health, he died in February, 1887, in Kildonan, having reached home only some
three days before. He died, as he told me he wished to die, ‘in harness.” ‘He,
too, rests in Kildonan church-yard. In the spring of the same year, Mr. George
A. Laird, B.A., another student of Manitoba College, was ordained and sent as
missionary to this field. And the school, after being successively taught by D. H.
McVicar, B.A., and John Black, also students of Manitoba College, has developed
into a large and important Industrial school under the charge of Mr. Laird,
efficiently assisted by Miss E. M. Armstrong as teacher, with Mrs. Laird as
matron. This school is doing excellent work. It is the largest under our care,
and is meeting with gratifying success. The people are civuized, intelligent and
industrious, and have neat and comfortable homes. The congregation has a com-
munion roll of thirty-three." I have been ‘present with them when the sacrament of
the Lord’s Supper was observed, and a more devout and reverent congregation it
wouldbe hardto find. The chief, Joseph Cété, is very friendly tothe Mission, and has
been baptized. I had an interesting letter from him not long ago, expressing his
gratifude to the Church for its interest in himself and his people. :

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. Okanase, Mr. -Flett’s other Mission, which, along with Roseburn and Rolling
River, has lately received the principal part of the missionary’s care, presents
equally successful results.. The Chief, Okanase and his twelve children belong

to the congrégation. There is a communion roll of thirty-nine. The people
have a neat church and comfortable homes. They make their living by farm-

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ing and hunting, and are a civilized.Christian-community:—There isa good day
school on the reserve, taught by Miss Cameron, lately appointed. a

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* MIS-TA-WA-SIS MISSION.

The other missionary belonging to the band that left Kildonan in 1866 is John
McKay. It has been his lot to labour in the Far West, in the neighbourhood of the
original Mission of Prince Albert. After ministering for several years‘ to the spirit-
ual wants of different bands of Indians around this Mission, Mr. McKay was
earnestly invited by Chief Mis-ta-wa-sis to become missionary to his band, on a
reserve abont twenty miles north-west of Fort Carlton, a short time previously
allotted to him by Governor Morris. Chief Mis-ta-wa-sis is one of the fruits of
the early days of Mr. Nisbet's labours. Hs received the “good seed of the Word”
from Mr. Nisbet, through Mr. McKay asinterpreter. That good seed.lay dormant.
for yeare, but-at last it germinated and bore fruit, And as soon as Mis-ta-wa-sia
“was settled on his reserve, he asked to have as his missionary, Mr. McKay,.
through whom the Divine message first touched his heart. In response to this

_application, Mr. McKay was placed in charge of this Mission, and subsequently,
in 1878, was ordained as its minister. Mr.McKay’s labours here have met with
a large measure of success. His people, tike those under Mr. Flett's instruction,
have long discarded their hideous war paint, their primitive blanket, and dreary
wigwam, and dwell in comfortable homes. They can read and write in their own ~
tongue, and are fairly successful farmers, There‘is a good school on the reserve,
taught by the missionary’s daughter, Miss C. J. McKay. :And there is a good o
congregation of fifty-six communicants. Mr. McWilliam, formerly minister of
Prince Albert, speaks gratefully of the aid and comfort given’ to his people by
Mis-ta-wa-sis and his band in the troublous days of the Rebellion in 1885.

BIRD TAIL CREEK MISSION.

The next Indian Mission, in chronological order, was established among the
Stoux Indians settled on a reserve on Bird Tail Creek, a iributary of the Assiniboine.
These were originally a band of refugees from Dakota. They fied from the Ameri-
can soldiers afterthe terrible massacre of white settlers in Minnesota in 1862-3.
After a varied experience of hardship and-danger, a number of them settled on a
reserve on the Assiniboine at Oak River, and were cared for by the Church of Eng-
land. Another body of them were settled on Bird Tail Creek, and in 1877, our:
Committee began Mission work among them, and placed in charge of them a
native Sioux, an ordainéd minister of the Presbytery of Dakota—the Rev. Solomon
Tankansaiciye. Mr. Tiinkansaiciye, or, as he waa,more familiarly called, ‘‘ Solo-
mon,” remained among them for about ten years, when failing health made it
necessary for him to retire from the work. He met with a good measure of success,
During the time he was in ‘charge, his people made great progress both.in the
arts of civilized life and in knowledge of the truth. They are fairly successful
farmers. Last year very few of their white neighbours were as successful in securing
their crops. They have a well-organized congregation with kirk-session, Sunday
school, prayer-meeting and ‘Y.M.C.A., and a very good church building, organ
and all. They contribute regularly to the Schemes of the Church. Since * Solo-
mon” left them they have been under the charge of the Rev. John McArthur.
And this year they have undertaken to contribute $30 to his stipend. They have
a communion roll of twenty-seven.

_ ROUND LAKE MISSION.

The next’ addition to-our Indian Missions was made in 1884, Early in that
year, the Rev. Hugh McKay was appointed Superintendent of Indian Missions
in Manitoba and the North-West, and, the following summer, along with our —

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veteran missionary, Mr. Flett, selected the Crooked Lakes agency as a neédy field
for Mission work. And a Mission house was at once erected on the banks of
Round Lake, in the beautiful Qu’ Appelle valley... Mr. McKay at once saw that,
while the adult Indians were not to. be neglected ~his main work must be with
the young. Acting on this principle, he opened a boarding school in the Mission
house his first winter, and kept it open for several months, until he had to close
it on-account of the excitement and alarm of the Indians; ¢ caused by thé Rebellion on
the Saskatchewan. With the story of Mr. McKay’s success in preventing the
Indians from taking the war-path, we are all familiar. But who can tell what
atrocities would have been perpetrated on the defenceless settlements along the’
line of railway, had not these Indians been restrained, and kept quiet on their
reserves, by the rare courage and self{-devotion of their missionary? Mr. Mc-
Kay’s experience with his boarding school was such as to convince him that his
experiment promised the best solution to the Indian problem. The following win-
ter the experiment was repeated and our firat Indian boarding school established..
Since that time, large and commoadious buildings have been erected. An excel-
lent school is carrié@ on under Mr. McKay's charge, with Mr. E. T. Ferry as
teacher, It still meets,gwith difficulties and discouragements enough, no doubt;
but, notwithstanding, it enjoys such a measure of success as to confer untold
blessings upon the surrounding reserves, and show that the true method for Chris-
tian work among our heathen Indians has been diacovered. - Nor are the adult
Indians neglected. The time that Mr. McKay does not now require to give to
the school, he devotes to direct Mission work at various points on his extensive
reserves. At my first visit to these reServes, in 1885, paganism, dense and dark,
unrelieved by one ray of light, covered them as with a-pall. Now the faith of-
the people in their old religion is shaken ; a spirit of inquiry is abroad; and an
infant congregation with twelve communicants is established.: On all our reserves,
there is always a large amount of mortality. Last winter it was larger on these
reserves than usual; but the heart of the missionary was gladdened and the good
cause helped by many a proof of the power of the Gospel :to comfort and cheer,
even amid the gloom of the valley of the shadow. i . oo

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MISSIONS NEAR REGINA, 9 wy

In 1885, two new Missions were taken up, one on the group.of reserves near
Regina, under Chiefs Piapot, Muscowpetung and Pasqua, and the other on the
Assiniboine reserve, near Indian Head. A school was opened on Piapot’s reserve,
which, after leading a precarious existence for several years, was last summer
merged in the school conducted by the Rev. W. S. Moore on the adjoining
reserve. Mr. Moore was placed in charge of this group in the summer of 1887. In
the autumn of that year he opened an Industrial boarding school, to which he
has succeeded in attracting a large number of pupils, and which, in spite of
utterly inadequate accommodation, has been very successful.. Mr. Moore has
also formed a very good congregation, with thirty-two communicants, fourteen
of whom are Indians. .

The Mission on the Assiniboine reserve was placed under the charge of Mr. Jas._
Scott, an elder belonging to the congregation of Mr. Douglas, at Morris. Here
a day school was opened. Mr. Scott also taught the people in their houses as he
found opportunity, while Mrs. Scott taught the “women knitting, sewing and
other domestic duties. Mr. Scott was succeeded’ the following year by Mr. John
McLean, who, after two or three years of earnest and faithful service, in which his
wife took an active part, resigned his post a few months ago. The Indians on
this reserve belong to the “wild Assiniboines.” They speak a dialect of the
Sioux. It has been difficult and discouraging work to awaken in their darkened
minds any desire for higher things. Our Committee, however, is determined ‘to
persevere, and is on the outlook for a suitable missionary to carry on the work
with more vigour than ever. «

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PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE MISSION.
_ In 1886, Mission work was taken up at three new points. In the spring of that

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year a number of earnest. Christian ladies of Portage la Prairie, seeing the degraded -

condition of the Sioux yIndians around them, opened, with some assistance from
our Committee, an’ Indian school, and began the Mission that, under Misses
Walker and Fraser, is‘now so successful, not only in their excellent school, but
also in the Mission’church that is the means of accomplishing so much good for

the whole band. We earnestly hope.and_confidently-expect-that,in-the improved

circumstances, this Mission has a bright future before it, and that the faithful
women who opened it, and carried it on amid so many difficulties and discourage-
ments, shall enjoy the reward of “ those who go forth and weep, bearing precious
seed, but shall doubtless come again with- rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with
them.” .

AG EDMONTON MISSION.

About the same time as this school was opened, Mission work, at the urgent
recommendation of the Rev. A. B, Baird, then of Edmonton, was begun on the

reserve :of Enoch le Potac, near Edmonton. A school was opened and placed . ,

_ under the charge of Mr. Magnus Anderson, who teaches not only the ordinary
branches of an English education, but also trains the boys in the elements of

_smithing and carpentry. A comfortable and substantial building has just been |

erected, and.the day school transformed into an Industrial boarding school, with
good prospects of sticcess. Religious, services are conducted on the reserve by
the minister of Edmonton—the Rev. Mr. McQueen—and other Christian friends of
that place. ; a 7 6 ;
mn FILE HILLS MISSION.

In the autumn of the same year—1886—a school was opened and a Mission
established on the File Hills reserves, about eighteen. miles north-east of Fort .
Qu’Appelle. This. was placed under the charge of Mr. R. N. Toms, and
faithfully and earnestly worked by him for two years. ‘An excellent stone build-~
ing was erected forthe Mission, under the superintendence of the Rev. A. Rob-

“son;-and put under the care of the Rev. A. Campbell, who, after rendering the
Church good and faithful service for a year, resigned last autumn. Mr.- D/H.

McVicar.and Mr. Alex. Skene were then placed in charge of the Mission work and

the school respectively. This has always been a difficult and trying field to work. -

The Indians are unusually tenacious’ of their old ways, and difficult to influence,
in the right direction. In addition to this obstacle, there is the hostile influ-

_ence of the Roman Catholic Industrial school, near Fort Qu’Appelle. The ,

prospects of the school, however, are improving. The attendance is now larger
than at any other time since the Industrial boarding school was opened.

INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS.

The last Indian Mission work that our Church has undertaken is an Industrial
boarding school in the village of Birtle. This school was opened in the autumn of
1888, Birtle was chosen from its convenient situation to a number of our
reserves. The school is under the charge of Mr. G. G. McLaren, with his sister,

Miss A. McLaren, as matron, It has done excellent work for the short time it

has been in operation, and is a great help to our cause on the adjacent reserves.
The only school still to be mentioned is the Government Industrial school at

Regina, which it is intended to place under the care of our Church. This is
by far the largest, most commodious and substantial building erected for such a
purpose in Manitoba or the North-West. It will,accommodate about 200 children.
There has been a long and vexatious delay in the erection of this building. It |
is, however, now almost ready for occupation, and a Principal must be appointed
for it without unnecessary delay, that he may enter on his duties and have the
school in vigorous and succesaful operation by autumn. We expect that this
_ New school will give a great impetus to our work, and exert a helpful influence
overall the schools and Missions under our care. . .

. From this hurried and necessarilyimperfect review of the work which we, as a ,
Church, are trying to accomplish for the good of the heathen of our coun-

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“Ar gortow shall-rejoice," this:spiritualydesert of vilen

try;. it will be-evident-that we attach the’ chief: importance_to “our.; Indua-;”
" trial boarding’ schools as the great means for, ameliorating. the condition of the’
Indian, and making himra sharef in the blessings of religion jand,education. whith,
we ourselves enjoy, and. which it is our-solemn duty and our highest privilege. to _
spread around.. While not heglecting the spiritual wants of the’ adult. Indian,
we muat give our chief attention to the young. . The ordinary day, school‘has-not: :,
proved. success.__Among_pagans_there-are-so-many-hindrances;so-many:;coun:; ~
teracting influences, that dny high degree of success js not to be expected from
it. It is in the Industrial boarding school that the great. work.of the: Church for the
elevation of the. Indian must be done. In these schools the children are with-; :
drawn for long periods—and the longer the bettet—from the.degrading surround;, ~
ings of their pagan homes, in. hut or- wigwam, -and- placed under the direct -.”.
influence of all that is noblest and bést in our Christian civilization... ‘They are: :;
~ taught‘ the elementary branches of an English education, and,"in addition * the ‘+
boys are trained in farm-work,-tilling the-soil ‘and: caring for, cattle, ‘and, fa some‘ .
- instances, in the elements of-the more: useful trades, and'the girls in knitting, sew-
ing,: baking, cooking add ‘general housework; and -all- are taught -fo:sing the =,
_ psalms and hymns-of ‘the Church in English or Indian, generally in both,’ and to
commit passages ‘of Scripture to ‘memory ; while the: day is ‘begun and ended
_ with reading the’ Word and prayer around the'comimon family altar..“Than
‘sights and’sounds‘like these what can be_more hopeful or inspiring? ~ From scenes:
_ like these, results of thé noblest -kind ate apringing. “And-may-we-not confidently —
expect that thé generation trained under such influences will be immeasurably.
superior to their parents, and that in 4 comparatively few years our work as mie-. .°
sionaries to heathen Indians will have come.toanend? ."-- 2. 7 ie as ON

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SUMMARY. fe rr rer . ran

We have now eleven Missions under our care.. Thia work extends over nine; ...
teen reserves, with a population of about 3;500. There uré seven’ missionaries
and eléven teachers. There. are besides, matrons and interpreters—missionary -
agencies essential to the conduct of the work.- The-number of pupils enrolled is:
291, of whom 222 are in Industrial-boarding schools. .The number, of communi- .
cants is 387-00 ee yea
“" The number of pupils in cur schools is increasing. When compulsory attend--
atce is enforced, as it should be, and is likely. soon to be, the attendance will be .

; , still. .Who,can estimate the beneficial results that cannot fail-to follow ? --

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. . Lot so ” CONCLUSIONS. - * ° er oy Oe - a “ .
_ This raises, the important question; What is to’ be’done with these’ Indian
children when they have passed through our schools? To let them go back to

. their people on the reserves whence they came, “to the rock whence they. were

hewn, and the’ hole’ of the pit’ whence.they- were .digged,” would. be: sHort-__
sighted indeed.. ; Their last state woiild‘be\ worse than the first. The true plan
. ig,, gradually to: abolish .the.: tribal system, distribute :the Indians,-as they.are

; trained, throughout the white population, and’set them up-in a moderate way aa
_ farmers, , stock-raisers, tradesmen, .or im domestic. service... If this course were
* > ».adopted, and faithfully carried: out, the Indian question would soon cease to-be.a.

special factor for either the Church-or the State.to deal. with. © ©» - | mk

. We have.not, been very long engaged in this work. - What are twenty years in

_- the life. of a people?- And.'yét: enough has:been ‘accomplished to encourage. us,
_-, and, fill.us.with hope,- and show. us what we may: yet‘do with. larger’ experience,
.. hetter methods, and-greater consecration. to the work. : a

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“> ° The.wonderful succest,of :Indian Missions in the: United States, and the still
more:-waonderful’ ‘achievements of.Mr. Duncan,, of Metlakahtla,. before he was
_ driven from Canada 'by.intolerance and tyranny, show -what may«be'done.~ In-
view. of allthis, let_me ask, is there. atything- romantic or,extravagant:in’ the ho}
that, ere another generation has passed. away, ‘this, moral ‘wilderness “of si
esa and ‘death ‘shall ‘blossor

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